The Wrongs of the World
by Viddie
Summary: Life is full of tough decisions and unpredictable people, and that's what made her life exciting. But there was only one person who made life worth living.
1. Beyond the Whale

**Beyond the Whale  
**Note: Written by a complete amateur. Read at your own risk. Heh.

With no rain for days, no moisture in the air, a sudden swift heat from the heavens sent the island into a melting chaos. With a burn on her shoulder and her feet in the sand, she wished no more than to splash around in the cool, drifting sea. But many of times, her band mates warned her that the sea around Plastic Beach might be more toxic than the blasting rays of sun. No one had ever tried to stick a single toe in the water. Rumor had it that the liquid could tear through the toughest skin. But it couldn't be that bad.

She inched closer to the shoreline, right where the salt-heavy water foamed up against the gain of the beach, and planted her feet securely on the damp ground. But her nerves got the best of her when the mini waves came crashing down in front of her. She jolted back without words and sighed heavily. The sun. The water. The freaking rain clouds drifting thousands of miles away. Somewhere out there, over the vast ocean there had to be a rainfall that she craved. It would either wash away her burning flesh or abandon her for a dying child on the other side of the ocean. It seemed that the later was on its agenda.

But there was no way to confirm the existence of this storm.

Noodle desperately wanted to sit in the tower that protruded from the island. Wanted to watch the Weather Channel for signs of hope that maybe this storm she made up would take a stroll to Plastic Beach. But even silly Dave can't combat the sun chaos, which not only burned through Noodle's skin, but also left a nasty power outage. With no air conditioning, the tower became a boiling shithole, and the only way to escape was to retreat outside.

She played the guitar today. She gathered shells today. She talked to the pelicans today. She did everything she could do outside except the one thing she really wanted to do. Go in the damn water. And with all the trash littered around, she was quite sure Murdoc was telling to truth when he made it clear not to go in the sea. She was forbidden. That was that.

Her mind dozed off. God knows where it went, but it went somewhere. It could have gone to her return to the Gorillaz. To the pelican she conversed with earlier. To Russel's amazing dinner last night. To Murdoc's morning bitching. Good Lord, she had it with his hangovers, they were quite a stress. Then again, she maybe… just might… be thinking of 2D's stupid toothless grin an hour ago when she gave him the most colorful shell she had found earlier that day. The man was quite the child. And from what she heard, the man was also a poor soul up until her return.

And suddenly, a chilly substance engulfed her foot. She screeched, realizing she was too close to the water. But it was too late. She had touched the deadly sea. And it did absolutely no harm to her skin. The guitarist jumped in her skin, feeling a slight stab of regret, and then a wave of curiosity. No… it couldn't have been. The water was perfectly safe. Or so it seemed. The water retreated again, and she decided to chase after it. It came splashing back, hitting her ankles with a gentle force. An amazing wave of relief and coldness rushed through her body as she ran deeper into the ocean and dove in. This was the sensation she had been waiting for all week. Finally.

Murdoc was a heartless idiot.

Minutes went by as she bathed in the cool water. It was a pleasant feeling of relief from the dreaded heat that had been frying Plastic Beach. And through all this, she concluded that Murdoc lied to her. He just wanted to keep her from escaping again. But where was she supposed to go? Back to hell? Leaving the Gorillaz again was the last thing on her mind. She knew she belonged there at Plastic Beach right now. She was not leaving without her band. Ever.

She knew that the water did have some undesired effects to body after seeing an enlarged Russel, but he had been in the water for hours eating waste. As long as she didn't spend too much time in the ocean, she'd be fine.

But after a while, long after she became adjusted to the cold, she grew bored again. The water satisfied her need to cool down, but she had yet to find entertainment to waste her time on. She buried her head in her hands and rubbed her face with exhaustion, then yawned. Being stuck on an island in the middle of nowhere didn't exactly have many advantages. Maybe that could be their next song. Stuck on A Beach. Featuring the pelicans. Yeah, that'd be good stuff. She started humming a made up tune to her song. It turned into a full melody as she sung the words in her head. _Stuck on a beach… stuck on a beach… if you swim away you'll never reach… the closest mainland from Plastic Beach…_

_There's a barrier in the simple truth_

_A highlight if all goes well_

_A downfall in sanity from all the noise_

_A shadow from my choice… to stay with you_

_The sun makes Hell look like a playground_

_A playground, a playground_

_Hell looks like a playground_

_I want to go, but the choice is yours_

_Stuck on a beach, stuck on a beach_

_If you swim away you'll never reach_

_The closest mainland from Plastic Beach_

The most pathetic song Noodle had made up in less than thirty seconds ever. So she decided to quickly forget about it. She was just bored. It's lame to be influenced by such a weak emotion. Plus, Plastic Beach was kind of fun when it wasn't so damn hot.

But someone behind her had different plans. The moment she heard the first note of the keyboard, she regretted making up the stupid tune. The notes hit the air like invisible fireworks. Each note played with such craft and skill, and she only knew one other band member other than her who was a master at the keyboard. Noodle's face flushed. He had picked up on the tune so perfectly, it seemed like it could actually be a potential new single. She couldn't help but smile and giggle before turning around to see 2D channeling all of his concentration on his keyboard as he leaned against the giant plastic boulder behind him. He had her presence tuned out, and all his focus on the music as his talent leaked through the sounds of the melody.

Listening to 2D play her tune was like drawing a pretty picture and having it displayed in the _Musée du Louvre_. Her heart pounded to the gentle beat of the tune and her head felt light. His music gave her peace and longing for emotions she never thought existed.

Suddenly, the music stopped. "Wot are the words?" She heard 2D ask her with a loud voice. He wouldn't leave his spot, for he had been clinging to the outer walls of the tower all day. He wouldn't dare go near the water, in fear of the whale.

Noodle looked up at him from the distance and blinked. She lied, "I don't know, I just made it up." She felt herself shrug. There was no point in keeping the lyrics she had in mind before. They were done singing with their Plastic Beach album and didn't need more songs about it. She also didn't like the fact that 2D caught the tune, for she thought it was dreadfully awful.

"I's quite lovley," 2D insisted, still keeping his distance.

Noodle turned a bit pink in the face. "Really?" she asked.

"Yup!" 2D nodded happily. "I' made my 'ead 'urt less!" Noodle couldn't help but giggle again at his remark. Ridiculous. The melody she created made her own head hurt even more. But yes, it was embarrassing for 2D to have heard it. Made her feel uncomfortable, but at the same time, tugged at a spot inside her chest that hurt when it was touched. It was a painful grasp around her heart, nothing like she ever felt when she was alone. This feeling wasn't new though. It was there earlier when she gave him a shell, which was now hanging on a string around his neck. She only just noticed. He smiled his toothless grin again, that childlike face she adored leaked through. 2D suggested with his high-pitched voice, "Let's sing about somefink! Come 'ere Noods." He patted the wall behind him.

He started up the tune again before Noodle could protest. She gave in, pulling her legs out of the shallow water and onto the shore. Her feet abandoned the pleasant sensation of the cold water to join 2D against the wall. Her walk was slow and heavy, the wetness of her feet putting weight on her body. The sand caught between her toes and stands of breeze ticked her ankles. Upon leaving the shoreline, the music grew louder and the breeze became stronger. 2D glanced up from his keyboard at Noodle and smiled, then looked back down at his keyboard. "_You can't sleep long… you can't sleep long… the sun will be far gone… so you can't sleep too long…_

2D became closer and closer as Noodle made her way up the beach.

_Stay awake through the morning call_

_Too loud to catch the noise_

_If the tumbleweeds don't settle in spring,_

_I'll think the sparkle is gone from your eyes_

She finally reached the wall where 2D leaned against. She placed herself right next to him, watching him as he skillfully put words to her music. Once again, he didn't acknowledge her presence as he solely concentrated on the heavy notes and lyrics. He hesitated in singing in between the verses, a two second delay for him to come up with words.

_Loss is louder than the headache in my head_

_The headache, the headache_

_The headache resting in my head_

_I'm taking you back through toxic seas_

_You can't sleep long_

_You can't sleep long_

_The sun will be far gone_

_So you can't sleep too long._"

2D finished, looking up at Noodle for approval, "Somefink like t'at, maybe?" He laughed. "I don' even know whehre t'at came from. Silly me."

Noodle's jaw dropped. She instantly knew what he was singing about, but he probably had no idea. The words had a heavy amount of emotion in it… so much that she felt like her mind was drowning. But those lyrics definitely fit the actual tune much better. He made the puzzle pieces of her notes fit perfectly - 2D was a psychotic genius. She watched him set his keyboard against the wall as he looked out at the ocean.

Then, he took a pack of cigarettes and a lighter out of his pocket. Noodle rolled her eyes. Smoking. Again. But 2D lost his grip on the lighter and it came plummeting down into the sand. Noodle dove for it, feeling the urge to do something nice for him at that moment. She picked it up and ran her thumb across the rusty silver surface. Old. Dusty. He needed a new one, bad. She couldn't even her reflection in it like she could before El Manana. How many cigarettes had he smoked in her absence? Probably more than he ever did in his life.

When 2D stuck the cigarette in his mouth, Noodle reached up and swiftly lit the little stick. He breathed in, then took it out and blew out a small jet-stream of toxins. He looked at Noodle and ruffled her hair. "Fank yew, love."

She ignored the grateful gesture, still in awe over the powerful lyrics 2D produced in the matter of seconds. Noodle played around with the flame on the lighter for a while. This was bad. His lyrics were definitely apart of his true emotion. The thought of it really frightened her. What now? What was the next step? Which road should she drive down? No wait. There was no road for that kind of thought. It would never work. They both knew that, and the pain of it drew her crazy to the point of insanity. Noodle's heart sank.

They could not use that song.

Her thoughts were interrupted. "AAAH WHAAAAALE!" 2D shrieked and hid behind Noodle. He latched his hand onto her hand and cowered against the wall. "H-h-halp me."

Noodle saw it too. A small grayish whale peaked above the water's surface at Noodle and 2D from the distance. Its large eyes glimmered in the faded sunlight. She couldn't resist the cute face, so she waved at it. The whale flipped over, causing 2D to flinch. Noodle saw the whale wave a flipper at her. Gosh, the poor thing looked friendly. She didn't understand the vocalist's weird cetaphobia. She patted 2D's head with her free hand. "It's okay, 2D-san, he's just waving hello. He's cute."

"'ow is 'e cute? T'e bloody fink is gonna get me!" 2D argued while clutching her hand tighter and shivering uncontrollably with his cigarette hanging from his mouth. The poor fellow was scared out of his mind.

Noodle squeezed his hand, "Don't worry. He's really far away." She giggled at him. It was really cute how her 2D-san was so freaked out by such harmless creatures. He was a puppy dog afraid of lightning. Except cuter. But she knew that his phobia was getting really unhealthy for him. If the air conditioning and power was working, he would be curled up in a corner in his room watching zombie movies.

That was when she knew he had to overcome this fear. It's not like he had plans to leave Plastic Beach anytime soon. The whale guarding his room was overstaying his visit. She also wanted 2D to feel the water, which was nice and cold. It would calm him down. Once the whale was out of sight and he had calmed down a bit, Noodle put a few inches between her and 2D and looked up at him. She said, "You know, the water feels really fantastic."

She felt 2D instantly shut her out. "No way! No way am I getting near t'at whale!" he cried out.

"Shh… shh…" Noodle placed her hand over 2D's mouth. "The whale is gone. I promise. I don't see him out there right now. It's the perfect time to cool off from the heat. Aren't you burning up?" 2D's face was definitely red from the heat, and she was beginning to feel burnt up again. She needed to water badly right then. 2D's teeth clattered under her hand. She removed it and whispered in his ear, "I promise he won't be there. Even if he was, he won't do any harm. I promise. Just… come with me. It's really hot and I don't want to be in the water alone. Please?" 2D bit his lip in confusion. Noodle knew he was traumatized, but he has to get over it. Good news was that he looked like he was seriously considering it. Then, Noodle got closer to his ear and softly sang, "_The sun makes Hell look like a playground_. Follow me."

She slowly guided 2D down the beach as he kept his grip on her hand really tight. There was no way he was going to let go anytime soon. She felt the pressure of his large hands around her own. Just the touch felt wonderful. It felt as if he were protecting her, the other way around from reality. Bluntly stated, 2D's interaction with her always blurred the lines between reality and fantasy. It was an embarrassing thing, how weak he made her legs. He was right there. Right there next to her. Yet, she expected nothing more than the joining of their hands.

The trek down to the shoreline wasn't easy, even though it was a mere forty feet away. The sand found its way into Noodle's toes again. The grains tickled her feet and the newly developing dry wind curved around her exposed neck, her purple hair bundled in a low ponytail. 2D suddenly stopped at the shore's edge. He had made progress. Noodle gently tried to push him in, but he stayed firm, still biting his lip and shaking like a nervous monkey.

"Come on, 2D-san. It's just water," she showed him by bending down and splashing some at his feet with her free hand. He was lost for lost, for the turn of his head showed no interest in getting in. Yet, he was sweating from the heat like a madman. And so was she. She sighed. "Well, I guess I'm going in without you. What would happen if a whale attacked me? You wouldn't be there to save your lil' love, would you, 2D-san?"

This stuck a nerve somewhere in between 2D's migraine. His eyes swelled up and his eyebrow twitched. When Noodle tried to advance, he pulled her back and grabbed her hand with both hands. "Don' go, Noods. _Loss is louder than the headache in my head_," he sang quietly with fear.

Noodle managed a weak smile and said, "Then come on. You'll like the water. I promise. And no whales." 2D gulped and stared down at the water. His reflection made him cringe a bit. Noodle nudged him further. She was excited that he was making progress.

Then, he let one hand go and he bent over to splash water on his face and neck. He paused. Noodle saw the look of relief from the vocalist's face, even though it was brief. This made her smile from ear to ear. 2D seemed to be enjoying the little waves on the sand, and he further progressed by stepping into the water about ankle deep. Then knee deep. Noodle led him a little further and they found a comfortable place to stand in the sea. He splashed some water on him, then took a puff of smoke from his cigarette. Noodle, with her hand still trapped in 2D's clutch, submerged herself into the water and then came up for water. She felt that deep sense of relief from the heat again. And she could tell 2D liked it too. She reminded him, "See? No whale."

"I'm glad." 2D said. "Thanks, lil' love. I really needed i'. I thought t'e fawkink 'eat was goink to kill meh."

"It's still hot," Noodle shrugged. "It's just so much better in the water."

2D nodded, "Yup!"

Noodle giggled again. Plastic Beach may be desolate and isolated, but the company of her band around, particularly 2D, always reminded her that she wasn't alone. Murdoc didn't need to force 2D and her to stay by paying a whale to guard him, or by lying to her about toxic water. They would go where Gorillaz would go. That was that.

She turned to 2D. "Want to actually work on that song we had going? We can come back to the water every ten minutes to cool off. I know you wouldn't dare take your-"

He felt her hand get squeezed even harder as 2D admitted obliviously, "Let's stay…

…I like havink an excuse to 'old yewr hand."


	2. Beyond the Smoke

**Beyond the Smoke  
**Note: I would have made this chapter longer, but the ending was too perfect. I had to stop there.  
I've decided to continue this story for my own way of killing time. Doesn't really have a plot. It's more like 2D's and Noodle's struggle beyond Gorillaz.  
You'll see. You'll love it.  
-Viddie

PS. Listen to 'Slow Suicide' by JamisonParker while reading this chapter for the full effect.

They couldn't open. Her eyes. They couldn't open in fear of reawakening to the nightmare already unfolding. At this point, the line between living and screaming nightmares had eroded. The lose ground pulled her through the soil like quicksand, her body heavy with remorse. The brand new feeling of loss tore through her body for the umpteenth time, but not casually. When asked to speak kind words about the man, she could only make out a sigh of cold air which bit through her lips. This wasn't happening. This absolutely couldn't be happening. A huge chuck of her life had suddenly collapsed and fell in into the pits of fiery hell.

The perfect weather for the perfect occasion. Rain. It felt so cliché, but he would have loved it. It poured down on the massive sea of umbrellas, bouncing and dancing in the icy wind. They were icicles falling from heaven with no mercy upon her or the crowd of ninety in front of her. With her free hands, she clutched the podium in fear of collapsing. No matter how many times she rehearsed her lines, it seemed almost impossible to choke out a single word.

"Noodle," she heard her own name whispered into her ear. How long had she been standing there breathless? It felt like hours. Like time had slowed down for her. Her knees buckled underneath her, making her weak in the legs. She tightened her grip on the podium as felt a hand wrap around her waist. A large, dark hand pulled the microphone attached to the podium towards Noodle in an attempt to encourage the broken girl to lead the crowd in remembering a precious life. She swallowed hard and brought her face closer to the microphone, but once again froze up as she felt a tear slide down her cheek. She choked on her words before taking a deep breath to recompose herself.

She finally managed to speak his name, "Murdoc." Noodle gulped, glancing over at the wooden casket to her right. Her heart ripped in two again. She felt so weak. "This is the worse thing you've done to us to date." No. What was she saying? Yes, it was his fault, but what was she doing pointing that out at this time? It wasn't right. She began to drown in tears, choking on the droplets of rain in her mouth as she continued, "You left us behind and we miss you so much. I don't know what's beyond death, if Satan truly exists, or if God truly exists. But if there's a fork in the road on your journey through death, I hope you go where the angels are." At this point, her tears were falling down her face like waterfalls. "B-b-because… even th-though y-you w-were a j-jerk… you were still… a g-good man."

The heartache took over her body as she collapsed behind the podium, a nervous wreck. Two pairs of shaking arms wrapped around her cold body and helped her stand up. Noodle felt one of them drag her limp body off the stage behind the life-size Gorillaz poster. She noticed Murdoc as she passed by it. The way his tongue hung out of his mouth; the drunken expression on his face from his excessive drinking and his yellowed teeth from smoking. Little did he understand that his unhealthy habits would land him a spot six feet under in a graveyard. She remembered that photo shoot, though. Back from their latest album a year ago, right after Plastic Beach. Printed sloppily on the poster were the words "Gorillaz: The Wrongs of the World."

She knew it would be the last.

Lanky arms guided her to the fold-out chair behind the stage, where no one could see her. An umbrella above her shielded her from the pouring rain. A man knelt down in front of her and placed a nervous hand on her cheek. She looked up at him through the mess of her bangs covering her emerald eyes. In an attempt to stop crying, she bit back her lip. She had to be strong, especially for this man in front of her because she knew he hated to see her cry. As if he read her mind, 2D said, "I's okay to cry, love." He wrapped his arms around her head and brought her face to his shoulder for her to cry on. Noodle clutched her fabric of his suit and out all her sadness, guilt, remorse, anger… she silently wept in his arms. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't help but to feel the pain of loss sweep her body and tug at her broken heart. It hurt. Really badly.

In the distance, she could hear a booming voice coming from the microphone. She couldn't make out the exact words, but she could tell it was Russel saying his own last words and dismissing the crowd of mourning souls. The footsteps coming towards her alerted her of Russel's presence. But she kept her face buried in 2D's shoulder. Where she belonged. But She felt 2D try to pull away. And she let him go, because she knew that the funeral was over. The final task for the day was to plant Murdoc into the soil, where he'll rest in peace for eternity.

Their return to Kong was a long, silent one. Noodle sat in the back with her head in sleeping Russel's lap as 2D drove the worn down Geep. She watched him as he popped one too many pills into his mouth, but had no energy to stop him. He was just as much hurting as she was. But of course, 2D was expecting to go home and return to Murdoc sitting on the couch in his underwear, drowning in beer and laughing at everyone who was stupid enough to actually believe he was dead. Because when Noodle died… she didn't really die. She returned. And that's what will happen with Murdoc, right? He'll turn up again in a year or two. But Noodle understood the painful truth. She saw him take his last breath with her own eyes. He was gone.

Then, through the loud motor of the Geep, she heard him singing. It was off key, but it was still beautiful. "_You can't sleep long… you can't sleep long… the sun will be far gone… so you can't sleep too long…_" Their first "The Wrongs of the World" single. The one they wrote three years ago in her faded memory. The tune she made in a hot day on Plastic Beach. The lyrics that 2D wrote for _her_. Of course, he never admitted it but she knew. She knew everything.

When he finished singing, Noodle sat herself up and maneuvered her way to the front seat, careful not to wake up Russel, who was exhausted from planning and hosting the funeral. She slid down into the soft seat and buckled the seat belt as she stared at the road ahead. Taking notice of Noodle and her blank expression, 2D slid his hand on top of hers. He used his thumb to rub her fingers gently as he merged lanes. She sighed and figured she would enjoy his gesture of comfort, "Thank you 2D."

2D raised an eyebrow and asked "For whut?"

"For being here," Noodle sheepishly shrugged. "You and Russel both. And Murdoc, even though he's not actually here." She looked at the sky above her. "Thank you, Murdoc."

2D glanced her way and smiled. He leaned over and whispered into her ear, "Murdoc says, no problem. So do I." He retreated as he chuckled and pulled out his pack of cigarettes from his back pocket, still keeping his eyes on the road. He pulled one out and searched for his lighter.

Noodle spotted his rusty metallic lighter on the dashboard and held it up. "Here," she said, clicking it so it lit up. She reached over to the cigarette and held the flame to the end of the stick. When the cigarette was successfully lit, she closed the lighter and began to put it back on the dashboard. She noticed how rusty it was and wonder when he would get a new one. But then, it struck her. He was smoking. Why did she encourage this? Why did she light that cigarette? Why was she going to sit back and watch him smoke his sadness away? No, she couldn't do it. She clutched the lighter with anger.

Boldly, she twisted in her seat and threw the lighter clear out of the car to the side of the road. She followed the piece of metal with her eyes as it landed on the soft soil and bounced off the side of the slope. Suddenly, the car came to a screeching halt and swerved to the right to the side of the road. She twisted back to see 2D in panic, as he had just witnessed his lighter fly out of the car and down the small hill. He turned off the engine and was about to get out of the car to go find it when Noodle grabbed his wrist.

He screamed, "My lighter! Whut did you do t'at fer Noods?" He tried to free himself from Noodle's grasp.

"You can't die!" Noodle shouted back, remembering when the doctor told them that Murdoc had developed lung cancer. Extensive-stage small cell lung carcinoma to be exact. That was when they decided to make a fourth album, 'The Wrongs of the World', as they traveled the world to go places and do things that were on Murdoc's bucket list. The whole band spiraled into depression, but Murdoc was such a strong soul, he managed to stay alive a little more than two years before Russel found him coughing blood in the studio.

"I'm not gonna die, love!" 2D shouted at Noodle. "I need my smoke!" He reached for the cigarette that Noodle kept away from him. He clutched the air, barely touching the cigarette. "Give i' back!" He began to whine.

"No!" Noodles shrieked as 2D climbed over the middle section of the car, still trying to grasp the stick. Noodle had enough as she unbuckled and pushed open the car door. She stumbled out of the car with the cigarette in her hand, feeling the rain pound on her face. 2D fell forward into the passenger seat. He scrambled up and out of the car, almost about to pounce on Noodle to get his cigarette back. But then, he watched as his lil' love stuck the cigarette into her mouth. She took a long, hard drag right in front of him and then gave off a disgusted look.

2D clutched his face in pain and confusion. He shouted, "Why did you do that love? Yewr gonna make yewself sick!" He watched Noodle as she took another puff, despite the fact that she obviously didn't like it

"See? That's how _I_ feel when _you_ smoke!" Noodle pointed out. "What's it any difference when you smoke? I'm not gonna sit here and watch you crumble into pieces like Murdoc did! I've had it. I've _had_ it!" She shrieked again as she threw the stick onto the ground and smashed it with the heel of her leather boots. 2D cringed as he watched his lit cigarette get smashed into the wet soil. The rain fell harder and silence swept over the pair. The only noises they could hear was the rain pounding the enpty cement road and Russel's snoring.

Then, 2D turned to attend to the missing lighter. But as he began to retreat, Noodle grabbed his arm and kept him there. She was surprised when he didn't struggle. Instead, she felt his hand touch her face, but she slapped it away, angry at 2D. She let all her wet hair fall to her face as she tried desperately to find her next words. She was taking away his way of mourning Murdoc. She knew that. But she also knew that she couldn't let him fall into the same fate as their bassist. It was only the matter of time when 2D would also be diagnosed with lung cancer and die in the hand of addiction. Noodle felt the hurt emitting from him, and she suddenly felt guilty.

As the sky cried, Noodle cried, and she pulled 2D into a cold hug and buried her face into his chest. She whimpered, "I-I just d-don't wa-want to lose you… I d-don't know what I'd d-do w-without you." There it was again. That pain in her heart. She was on the verge of letting it out, telling him about the deep pain in the depths of my heart. About the way she trembles when he calls her 'love'. About the way hurt clenched her chest when he was near her. But the painful reality was that it would never work, no matter how much she dreamed of it.

He froze. Her words still lingered in his head, trying to find meaning. Something in that moment clicked though. A trigger. A realization. Something changed in Stuart Pot in that split moment. He pulled Noodle closer and rested his cheek on her head. Just holding her there felt good. Like three years ago when she held his hand as she helped him fight off his cetaphobia. Here she was now, concerned for his health yet again, pleading for him to quit smoking right then and there. He knew it couldn't happen, it would take time. But he was suddenly determined to prove to Noodle that he would do anything to stay with her. He gave in, "Okay."

Noodle perked up. "Okay?"

"Yeah," 2D looked down at her. "I'll quit."

She smiled. He's going to try! She looked up at the sky, hoping Murdoc could see them right now and silently telling him that they missed him. Giggling, she said, "Do it! For Murdoc!"

2D snorted and shook his head. Noodle looked at him with confusion. He corrected her, "No, Noodle-love. I'm doing i' fer yew."


	3. Beyond the Barrier

**Beyond the Barrier  
**Note: Excuse my three week absence, I've been working on college applications.  
Plus, this chapter was so damn hard to write.  
-Viddie

PS. Fast fact: Viddie's first language is not English.

The rag had been scrapping the same spot on the shiny kitchen counter for fifteen minutes already. Her foot tapped the floor anxiously, staring at the phone for what seemed like hours. The minutes dragged along like waves on the old Plastic Beach shore she remembered so well from her final teenage years. Impatience tickled her back and stabbed her shoulders upon every small movement. She wasn't sure what to expect or what to hope for. All she knew is that she was going to get a call that day, and that call could change her life. She wasn't sure how she felt about that though. Was she ready for the change?

At six thirty in the morning, the morning dew clung to the long, tall windows surrounding the kitchen. The cold seeped through the metal walls, turning the room into a giant freezer. On top of that, the heater wasn't working properly, and randomly shut itself on and off throughout the lonely day. Being January, the peak of winter drowned the lower floors of Kong in snow. Snowed in, it was almost impossible to leave the building that day, so they were stuck like the past week.

Noodle could see her reflection on the shiny counter. At such a young age, the wrinkles under her eyes were prominent. Her matted bed hair stuck in several different directions, her ink black roots beginning to eat away at the purple. The veins in her eyes were redder than usual as her emerald eyes faded to a pale moss. She now wore dirty grey eyeglasses and kept her mess of hair back in a small ponytail at all times. A salmon pink scarf covered her frown, and her oversized black and yellow sweater hid her womanly body. She felt more like a housewife than a college student though, taking courses online and attending to housekeeping while the only other resident wasted his days in the Kong studio, either painting or writing music.

All that mattered was that he was happy.

Noodle picked up the small container of flavored toothpicks off the counter next to the phone and studied the label. The words 'Fiesta Toothpicks' wrapped around the closed container, which hadn't been opened for two months. She tossed it into the trash can, tired of seeing it lying around without a purpose, and continued to rub the same exact spot on the counter with a rag she was washing before. As if it couldn't get any cleaner. She shook her head. No. She wasn't going to be called at six thirty in the morning. Who was she kidding? It was her childhood Christmas all over again, as she waited like a puppy dog for the most anticipated event of the weekend.

She stretched out her arm, accidentally knocking over a glass of water, the one she left out for 2D the night before to encourage him to take water with his painkillers. She swept the rag off the counter, letting it drop to the floor. She stepped on the rag and used her foot to hurriedly wipe most of the water away. A minute later, her patience ran out as she dried her hands with the rag and tossed it onto the counter. Exiting the kitchen, she noticed the photo of the Gorillaz that hung next to the bar was tilted off. She adjusted it back to its position, careful not to ruin Murdoc's evil grin. She knew he was watching her, and if she made him look bad, he'd roll over in his grave. Then there was Russel, who's relaxed, fatherly smile calmed Noodle through the toughest times. She knew he was doing okay in the United States, as she talked to him on the phone every other day. Then there was 2D, whose beautiful eyes she couldn't stop staring at every time she passed by. Murdoc probably still rolled in his grave from just that.

Moments later, she was speeding upwards on the small lift, the air getting warmer and warmer as the lift climbed the levels. It seemed all the hot air floated up to the top while the cold, freezing air sank to the bottom. She found that terribly unfair and she got off the lift and felt a rush of warn air hit her face. It felt so amazing, that she took off her scarf and dropped it on the lift floor. It wasn't going anywhere. She stepped off and rounded the corner, stepping into the large hallway and turning a sharp left into 2D's room.

The walls of the enlarged room were littered with splatters of paint. Paintings and posters hung on these walls, making the room feel crowded but cozy. The floor was nice and neat, though, since she made him clean his room yesterday. 2D may have been thirty-five, but sometimes she felt like she was babysitting a twelve year old. She wanted to vacuum it right then, but she noticed him crashed out on his bed, which was still made. An MP3 player hung from one of his ears, which meant he was listening to some form of music last night and forgot to take it out when he fell asleep.

Upon further examination, she saw that the MP3 player was still on, and he had some kind of softer music on repeat. She knelt over, took the other earpiece dangling from the cord, and stuck it in her ear. No doubt about it; it was 'Hibernation' from their album 'The Wrongs of the World'. That was the song she and 2D wrote on Plastic Beach. In actuality, he did write the lyrics to it, so she let him take credit for writing it. There were words and feelings weaved into the music. Feelings that she couldn't explain. Jealousy filled her lungs and escaped her mouth with a small sigh. She longed for the same ability to portray her feelings in such a beautiful way. She wanted to make him all numb inside, just like he did to her whenever they played 'Hibernation' at concerts, and whenever she listened to the song on her iPod or practiced it in the studio. One day, she was going to write a song that would cause his heart to twist inside his body in the same way hers twisted every time she was near him.

Noodle's heart was even worse nowadays that she lived alone with 2D. It was unclear what their outer relationship was though. Sometimes, she felt like he was her brother, as they bickered and argued over the most pathetic things, but would end up laughing about it ten minutes later. Sometimes, she felt like she was mothering him, constantly ordering him to clean his room or pick up his mess in the studio. She found that upon exiting her teenage years, she grew more and more conscious about the cleanliness of her living space, and it seemed inevitable that Noodle's and 2D's idea of organization would clash terribly. But through all this, she couldn't ignore the intimacy that came with living alone with him. She hadn't seen him with another woman since her return, and sometimes she felt his lips brush her forehead at night whenever she went to bed before him. Of course, Noodle let it go, convincing herself that those kisses were definitely just mimics of when she was ten and he would tuck his lil' love into bed with a kiss. It was the same… exact… thing. Definitely. No doubt about it.

But a longing tugged at her, coming from 2D and his close proximity with her. She sat on the floor next to his bed, previously studying his MP3 player. His face was pressed against his pillow, his cheek right at the edge of the bed. If she turned her head, their noses would almost touch. As she noticed this, she let the MP3 drop to the floor again where it laid when she had come into his room. His words continued to ring in her ear from the earphone. _Stay awake through the morning call, too loud to catch the noise. _And she turned her head slowly, her eyes just centimeters from his. She let the music drive her inner intentions as her logistical mind quickly made an excuse. He did it to her first. And many times. Why couldn't she do it to him? Friendly and quick, right?

That was when she pressed her pair of soft, nurturing lips against 2D's cheek. Some degree of relief escaped her at that moment as she initiated such an intimate movement. But who was she kidding? Since when did morning kisses on the cheek equal a kiss on the forehead right before bed? Even though it was the same act, the time of day and who was kissing who made a huge difference. And the intentions were different. She didn't even know what her intention was. It just felt so right. Yet so wrong on so many levels. Her lips lingered on his cheek while she tried to make sense of what she was doing.

But suddenly, as Noodle was just about to pull away, a ring echoed throughout the studios, loud enough to cause 2D to jolt up and his eyes to pop open. Noodle dodged out of the way just in time as she yanked out the earphone and slammed it to the ground. She scrambled to her feet as 2D sat there in his bed rubbing his eyes. Turning away, she reached for the door, but instead tripped over her feet, landing in a stack of neatly folded clothes next to his radio. The door. She reached again for the door, trying to escape embarrassment before he realized what she just did.

No. Too late. There was nothing she could do now. She felt 2D's confused eyes stare at her, who was stumbling around in his room. The phone continuously rang in rhythm as he let go of his stare to shift his position on his bed, swinging his lengthy legs over the side and stretching his arms to further wake himself up. In a loud yawn, he gently touched his cheek, the kiss finally registering in his mind. But when he looked up again, the door was left wide open and Noodle was long gone. 2D tilted his head in confusion as he gently took out the earphone that was in his ear all night. His lips curled into a fresh morning smile as he couldn't help but think how nice it felt to have her breath still clinging to his face. 2D heard the phone cease to ring and Noodle's voice speak from an upper floor in inaudible English.

"H-H-Hello?" Noodle stuttered at the phone, still nervous. What was she thinking two minutes ago? What motivated her to do such a silly thing? And she got caught! All because the stupid phone rang… no. It wasn't Russel's fault. It was her fault. She had probably just ruined her sisterly relationship with 2D. Selfishness motivated her. The need for something beyond the current interactions drove her into this mess, and there was no turning back. Her thoughts were interrupted.

"Baby girl!" Russel greeted her with excitement. "They're gonna let ya transfer over!"

Noodle leapt off her feet. "S-Seriously? Oh my God, Russel! Thank you so much for helping me!"

Russel chuckled and said, "No problem. Let's be happy they're letting ya do this over the webcam. Just make sure ya contact TUA."

Noodle nodded and said, "Of course! I'll do that tonight! Oh gosh, thank you again. I still can't believe I'm in!" She bounced in her shoes, letting excitement overwhelm her. Soon, she would be officially be a graduate student at the newly established City International Music Academy in Los Angeles, but they would allow her to attend classes via webcam. She was glad she had Russel, who landed a job as a percussions teacher there and was more than willing to grab a spot for her at the school. CIMA wasn't too pleased at the distance between her and the actual, physical facilities, but because she was a friend of their most respected teacher, Mr. Hobbs, they were willing to go the extra mile to let her take classes while staying in England. What they didn't know, was that Mr. Hobbs's friend was also a former band member of Gorillaz. Russel and Noodle agreed they would keep her true identity on the down-low, just to be safe. Having one of the teachers from Gorillaz at CIMA was enough excitement for the student body and faculty to contain. Plus, Noodle wanted to be treated like any normal student… on a webcam.

"By the way, I like the fake name ya chose. Suit ya well, baby girl," Russel complimented her. "Well, ya call meh if there's any trouble, I'll keep meh cell on."

"Okay, _Mr. Hobbs_," Noodle said. "I'll talk-" She paused when she heard the sound of double doors sliding open. Noodle held her breath and peeked towards the lift in the corner of her eye. There stood 2D, still wearing the same clothes he wore yesterday with a beaming smile printed on his face. She took a deep breath before she continued, "I'll talk to you later." She then hung up and turned to the kitchen, hoping 2D wouldn't follow. Noodle was way too embarrassed to deal with him now.

"Congratulations, love!" She heard 2D say in excitement. It seemed that he overheard her phone conversation with Russel. Sound traveled pretty far in Kong. He caught up with her on the way to the kitchen and ruffled her hair, oblivious to the fact that she wasn't really in the mood.

Noodle couldn't even look him in the eye when she nodded and said, "Thanks." The rag on the counter still sat there in a pile of a mess and some flowers in a vase on the table where starting to die. They were orchids she managed to keep alive for a couple weeks, but she knew they would inevitably die. Life didn't last forever. Happiness and sanity never lasted forever. Especially when happiness drank a bottle of Tequila for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Special bonds will always be broken. Everything changes as time flies. And as Noodle learned the past thirteen years, time flew fast.

On one hand, she could take advantage of this happiness tickling under her skin. It wanted to break loose and fill the room. It called for celebration, a day out, a movie, a small party, whatever. She managed to grab a spot at the most prestigious music college built on the Earth's soil. However, the joyous feeling was cut off by a confusion ripping her mind apart. With too many things happening to fast, she needed some air. Her feet picked up and dashed through the kitchen and towards the door to the patio. Maybe he wouldn't follow her this time… maybe he would give up and leave her alone for a while. She needed air, even if there was a huge chance he only took that kiss on the cheek as a friendly morning gesture.

As she was focused on the door, little attention was drawn to the floor. She suddenly felt her heel fly forward in front of her and her other foot follow. Air filled the space between her and the ground, her feet damp with the leftover water she spilt not twenty minutes ago. When she heard loud hurried footsteps behind her, she knew he was trying to make it. Trying to come to her before she hit the floor. But when she landed on her back, a wave of pain crunched her insides. Not just physically, but emotionally.

"Noodle!" 2D shouted from almost right behind her. He was close. Too damn close. Just a few more inches, and he would have been able to prevent the surging pain in her lower back. He kneeled down in front of her and ran his hand around her lower back, where he concluded might hurt the most. "Yew okay, Noodle-love? Yew 'urt anywhe'e?"

Noodle stretched her legs out in front of her and put a hand on the floor behind her, leaning back to stretch out a tight muscle in her back. She blushed and nodded, "Yeah… yeah I'm sure I'm fine." She noticed how close he was to her and how oblivious he was about it. And how the hand on her back made all the pain go away. That frightened her. It frightened her that she felt so amazing about the situation. She slipped on that damn water, but he at least tried to catch her. And his presence was like her pain killer. Her nervousness around him at the moment made her focus on him rather than the small, trivial pain in her back. And of course, this frightened her. "I'm definitely fine."

It wasn't supposed to be like this. She wanted to live with her best friend, have adventures in Kong and goof off like the old days. She wanted to live with the one brother figure in her life she could depend on and have silly half-hearted fights over incredibly stupid things. She wanted to experience the pain of loss with the most important person in her life, and get through it side by side. But things were getting way, way out of hand. She was starting to lose control.

The skin on her lower back tingled in reaction to 2D's soft, caring touch. There was no way in hell she could miss the concern in his eyes, the emotion that may have been more than that. Concern. There was definitely more than concern in those dark, empty voids for eyes. He spoke in such a quiet voice, "Good. T'ank Gawd. T'ank Gawd." He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead on hers, resting his head against Noodle as he gave out a soft sigh. "Dun scare meh like t'at ever again."

Noodle's heart suddenly twisted again. How many times in her life has he said something like that? Words that made her heart wrench? Well, there was that time on Plastic Beach. When she was protecting him from the whale, he told her, '_I like havink an excuse to 'old yewr hand_.' And then, on the night of Murdoc's funeral, he promised her he would quit smoking, adding, '_I'm doing i' fer yew._' Then there was the song. The song on their fourth album. Hibernate. There was no way he pulled out those lyrics from nowhere. There had to be some sort of emotion driving those words. Noodle bit her lower lip. The way he was holding her now was even more proof that this twisting feeling was mutual. She could see it. She could just see it in his eyes and that alone proved everything. Pressing her forehead against 2D's, she agreed, "No. I won't do that ever again." Finally, she chuckled lightly, "I'll clean up everything I spill from now on."

There it was again. He had opened his eyes and she could see right directly into them. Those eyes… just centimeters away from hers… she could read them like a book in that small moment. She gasped in shock, then dropped her head to his shoulder and latched her arms around him. In an attempt to get answers, she insisted, "I have a question. I need an answer, 2D."

"Anyfink," he quickly answered. "Anyfink."

Noodle hugged him closer and she asked, "You know 'Hibernate'?" 2D pulled away to look at her and nod. But slowly and cautiously. He wasn't sure where she was taking this. Noodle sighed and looked at her feet, away from 2D. Then, she gently placed her hand on his chest. "The song… it was written from here. I'm sure. But… where is 'here'? Where is your heart right now?" 2D tilted his head in confusion as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Stuart, was that song written for me?" 2D jumped a few centimeters back in shock. Noodle watched his face turn red and his eyes grow large and scared. Then, she mentally kicked herself. She just put him in a tight spot. What on Earth was she thinking?

Just as she began to get up and make a run for it, he grabbed her wrist and pinned it to the floor. She wasn't going anywhere. Not on his watch. He hid his face behind his scruffy blue hair and swallowed nervously. She felt his hands grow slightly cold. 2D whispered, "S'op runnin' from meh, Noods." She gasped. He was upset about her darting away from him just a few minutes ago. No… not just that. Hibernate… was a song… pleading for her to stay with him. It was one of his many responses he wrote for El Manana. The album 'Plastic Beach' was full of them, and so was 'The Wrongs of the World'. It wasn't just that song. Hibernate. It was all of them, from 'Rhinestone Eyes' to 'Broken' to 'To Binge', plus the later songs from 'Late for 3:00' to 'Freeze Wave'. Music was his message to her, a message he had no guts to tell her in person. Then suddenly, she heard him again. He whispered in a light voice, "Dun… leave."

Noodle felt herself shrink up into a little ball. She suddenly felt vulnerable and helpless as her heart took over her logical reasoning. Her muscles relaxed, the will to get away quickly fading away. Perseverance deteriorated, for she no longer had the energy to run away. Giving up, she let 2D run his fingers along her cheek and pull her face towards his. The frozen moment seemed to last forever. His lips almost brushed over hers, but not quite. The closeness caused Noodle's back to shiver. She whimpered a bit as 2D then wrapped his hand around hers and gave it a light squeeze, his face longing for much more than what he knew he could do. Noodle wasn't quite sure she could recall a more intimate moment between her and the vocalist. Both of them longed for the feeling of each other's touch, but none of them could make that final move.

That's when she knew that she wanted nothing more than him to be with her.

A slight push backwards snapped her out of insanity. The space in front of her felt empty and cold, and her heart felt hollow. She reached up to grab the air in front of her, noticing the lack of her band-mate. He sat a meter back, blinking. No… it wasn't him who pushed her. It was _she_ who pushed _him_. Noodle clenched her fists. She wasn't ready. She just wasn't ready for this kind of thing and she knew it. She had been trying to avoid this from day one, but now her fears had come to slap her in the face.

2D rubbed his face, realizing his chance was gone. But the entire past five minutes was becoming clearer and clearer in his head. What in bloody hell was he thinking? Telling her to stay? The kiss on the cheek… the running away all embarrassed… he was sure. Absolutely sure. Sure that Noodle was developing the kind of emotion he didn't know spoken words for. All he knew was that it was an emotion he could only sing. It was an emotion he didn't truly have for Paula Cracker. It was an emotion that couldn't be exchanged between them right now. It just couldn't. Because she didn't feel the same way. She kissed him because she was pondering going to Los Angeles. She ran away because she didn't want to face him with this decision weighing her down. Even worse, he was keeping her from living. Noodle could be attending CIMA in person. Going to Los Angeles by herself. Living a life outside Kong… the life she didn't get a chance to live seven years ago because demons dragged her to hell. That was it. He was stupid.

The hurt on 2D's face jabbed Noodle's chest. She really wanted to tell him so badly about the pain, but her voice ran out on her. Feeling bad, she wiped a tear away from her eye and said, "I'm so sorry, 2D."

"I am too," 2D replied. He pulled some hair out of his head in frustration and spoke his thoughts, "I… I thot maybe… there wos somefink…" Tears began to leak from his voids, so he wiped the palm of his hand against his eye. "I'm such a…" Dirty old man. That's how he wanted to complete that sentence. But his words drowned in silence. This was it. If he mentioned anything about these emotions, it would permanently damage their friendship. He just knew it.

But even before he could think twice, he felt that wonderful sensation on his cheek again. Her lips. They pressed extremely close to the corner of his lips. Noodle wondered once again what on earth she was doing. What her intentions where. What caused her to do this to her best friend not once, but twice today. But she finally had an answer. Right now, she aimed to prove to him that the connection between them was real. True. There. In that second… in that moment… those feelings between them were finally acknowledged. Noodle pulled away and bit her lower lip. It still wasn't right. She still could say it… the four lettered word. It just couldn't leave her throat, and she knew she couldn't force it.

As 2D and Noodle were finally on the same page, they both stood up. He awkwardly leaned against the counter behind him and wiped his eye again. She sniffed and giggled at his sensitivity. But tension still wrapped around their chests and choked them wordless. He violently shook his head and said, "I can't keep yew 'ere."

"And I can't stay," Noodle said, realizing the sudden mutual agreement they just had within seconds. It was clear. She needed to go to Los Angeles. And she couldn't take 2D. Noodle was only twenty three and now just wasn't the time to express herself to him. It just… wasn't right then. It couldn't happen. But she didn't want to leave. She didn't want to venture out alone and she didn't want 2D to forget her, or worse… move on. And that was why she stayed for this whole year. Noodle could have walked right out the door with Russel and gone her way, down her path and life journey. But her soul longed for security. She needed that assurance that she wouldn't lose him again, and that he wouldn't lose her again.

But then she heard 2D speak the words she was waiting to hear for a year, "I'll wait right 'ere. Fer as long as yew need it. I promise."

"I'll wait right 'ere jus' few yew."


End file.
